Politics of Family

I really can't imagine myself famous someday talking about the real deal of politics, except for random conversation, of course, if they asked my opinion regarding anything close to it. But if that topic simply pops into a discussion, I shall shift gears and shall take some other turns away from it, in a polite manner, another of course. I am sure ever since that I have less interest on the rather dirty and squeamish world of politics. I am afraid to dwell on it though I think it's a good avenue to reach out to many people. Then again, on the back of my head, I can't see myself as a mayor, not even an SK chairman. Besides, there are other avenues such as charity works and community development services where I can help others, and often times, I don't need to invest too much here except for my time and effort.

I know one student in school who dreams to be on the presidential seat. I have nothing against him, in fact, I wish him luck and I hope he does not lose his mind trying to rebuild our poor dilapidated country. But what I was wondering, what is it in politics that pulled his brilliant and deep mind into it. At this point he could have guessed that he's the one I'm talking about but as I've said I don't want to deal with, though sometimes, I question, not this particular student, but those who make politics a lifestyle and a business. So instead, I'd talk about another one, still connected to the term politics on its literal sense, but this time, the politics of family.

I suppose like in our country or any other smaller units or organizations under its canopy, there is a system on-going inside our homes. Children follow their parents and the rules set by parents. Younger siblings, I'm talking about the good ones, follow their older siblings because the latter's older age gives them that privilege. And a nanny, if there's one at home and members of the family treat her as someone already indifferent to them, follows everyone and everything set by all.

I thought all along that smaller units are easier to handle since you deal with fewer people, and to mention that you are family: everyone has to love each other no matter what. I know problems exist because they're part of the deal, the risk when we, or our parents, decided to gamble for our lives. I thought we knew how to self-heal when our family gets wounded, that time is all we ever needed. But with what I'm seeing now, it's quite different from what I imagined. Likened to the real world of politics, our minds our corrupted by viruses that only those infected by them can destroy them.

This column means so much to me now because it's tone is becoming more personal.. But anyway, no medicine can cure something especially if the only solution to the problem is the problem itself. Besides, unlike in real politics where members of the house can sue someone anytime they want, sometimes even try to murder that particular person in secret when something they don't feel was directed against them, as much as possible, we don't want to see someone in our clan rotting in jail, and especially, the system inside our houses is rather lenient. Seldom do we not let something really illegal committed by our parents or siblings pass us, very seldom, in fact. Take for instance those cases of assaulted minors and battered women. When authorities interview them for archival-use, they usually report that these physical and sexual harms have been done repeatedly or in series, more often than not. Only this time they confess such abuses because all along, they have been bearing the pain brought by the family that they don't want to, and must not, leave, or eventually hurt in the future. But I'd be a hypocrite if I'd stick up for the idea that only because they're family, you won't teach them a lesson. That would be sheer selfishness to myself.

Nevertheless, I don't want to brand a family, especially my own family, dirty, because no family is and would be such. Dysfunctionality, disorganization and usual misunderstandings never make one dirty. Family is love. And love mean trust and enduring pain, in certain extents, of course. The politics of family includes the use of the heart compared to the politics of the world that uses more of the mind.

My family has its own problems, and, truth absolutely hurts, so do yours. But whether how minor or major these problems can be, whether fixing your parents' rather rough marriage, having or actually being a black sheep in your family, or as simple as questioning the differences of allowance among siblings, I am sure that if you're as one, and you're willing to change something that is wrong with you, nothing can break your bond, even the most difficult one.

If in any case I wasn't able to keep up with your understanding of what I suggested to be politics of the family in this column, I sincerely apologize. Perhaps the lack of some ideologies and exposure, and personal interest that is a high possibility, to the vast arena of this particular field in social sciences, contributed largely to the failure of my intent to explain the topic further and more vividly. Also, probably, only I know, the topic might have been just plainly given and spoken in a general sense as "politics of family" to hide a "possible" agenda that I only wanted to make an avenue where my personal sentiments regarding my kin can park for a while or so. IDK. Thanks for reading anyway. :))

-- to my readers, this blog post might be my column in the broadsheet issue of The Angelenean Pioneer. Thank you again for reading..